Method and apparatus for harvesting energy based on the random occurrence of common direction molecules

ABSTRACT

An energy collecting device is disclosed. For example, the energy collecting device comprises a plate layer having a plurality of perforations for receiving a plurality of molecules, a molecular energy collecting layer, coupled to the plate layer, having an impacting structure for receiving the plurality of molecules, and a substrate layer, coupled to the molecular energy collecting layer, having a conductor wire coil for collecting electrons that are generated when the plurality of molecules impacts the impacting structure.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/308,103, filed Nov. 30, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,742,648 and isherein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates generally to a method and apparatus forproviding nanoscale energy harvesting based on the random occurrence ofcommon direction molecules.

BACKGROUND

Sensor networks (or sensor clouds) may comprise a plurality of wirelesssensors that are tasked with performing various functions, e.g.,security or monitoring functions (e.g., motion sensors, infraredsensors, light sensors, etc.), medical monitoring functions (e.g.,temperature sensors, humidity sensors, heart rate sensors, oxygensensors, gas sensors, etc.) and the like. Powering these sensors can beprovided with efficient batteries, but these batteries must be replacedregularly to ensure that the sensors will operate properly. Failure toreplace these batteries may create a security or medical issue.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides an energy collectingdevice. For example, the energy collecting device comprises a platelayer having a plurality of perforations for receiving a plurality ofmolecules, a molecular energy collecting layer, coupled to the platelayer, having an impacting structure for receiving the plurality ofmolecules, and a substrate layer, coupled to the molecular energycollecting layer, having a conductor wire coil for collecting electronsthat are generated when the plurality of molecules impacts the impactingstructure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The teaching of the present disclosure can be readily understood byconsidering the following detailed description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a three layer microscopic construction or device forcollecting molecular energy;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cut-out isometric view of the device for collectingmolecular energy;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example turbine in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example embedded conductor in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate example turbine in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment where the turbine is replacedwith a plurality or an array of piezo-nano whiskers; and

FIG. 7 illustrates an example array of devices for collecting molecularenergy that can be used to collect energy over a large surface area.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have beenused, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common tothe figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Wireless sensor networks (or sensor clouds) backhauled by cellular andWi-Fi technologies are being developed. In one example, sensor cloudsare composed of low bandwidth sensor devices connected to a network(e.g., a wireless or cellular network) via wireless devices such asZigbee technology. The sensor devices can be worn (e.g., in medicalapplications) and or embedded and distributed in the environments (e.g.,in buildings, walls, hallways, ceilings, in security or monitoringapplications), where the users/customer may live and work. There isgreat potential for managed services such as security and remote medicalmonitoring services (among many other market applications) that willgreatly benefit from the use of low cost and low powered wireless sensordevices.

Although sensor technologies can be very energy efficient, providingyears of battery powered functional service, built-in sensor grids mayneed a long term operational service life (e.g., in terms of decades).Such operational durations and limited access (e.g., embedded instructures that are difficult to access easily) would benefit from alocally powered sensor device that can harvest local energy sources,e.g., nano-energy sources, without the need for battery replacement.

For example, improving device efficiencies and driving operatingvoltages toward lower voltages, e.g., 1 volt DC, enable ambient energyharvesting that could be used as a means to power these devices. Forexample, by continuously trickle charging an onboard storage device withelectrical energy derived directly from nano-scale generators operatingin the ambient environment, these devices will not require costly backuppower from a wired main power source or replaceable batteries.

The ambient terrestrial environment represents a rich environment oftemperature driven motion of both macroscopic and microscopic matter. Onthe macroscopic scale, this thermally driven matter motion includesflowing rivers, ocean currents, geothermal and wind sources, among manyother examples. These thermal motion sources provide the means toproduce large quantities of electric current via a conversion of thelinear motion of matter into rotational energy that drives e.g.,electric generating turbines.

However, matter at the microscopic molecular scale is also thermallydriven, but to even higher velocities. Even at room temperature, theaverage gas (air) molecule is moving at between 700 to 1000 meters persecond depending on the temperature and molecular mass. Normal sea levelatmospheric pressure of approximately 14 lbs per square inch can equallybe thought of as the gas pressure or the summed impact pressure of ahuge number of these high velocity atmospheric (gas) molecules impactingon the square inch of surface area. As a summed force, the huge numberof impacting air molecules represents an enormous energy resource, notunlike that of the above macroscopic examples of motion of matter.Though molecules individually represent a tiny energy source, the hugenumber of high speed molecules available in ambient air, if selected fordirection and summed collectively to provide a force, then this forcecould be utilized to generate electrical output on a scale that could beused to continuously trickle charge low powered devices such as wirelesssensors.

Unlike macroscopic scale energy sources, free flowing air molecules onthe nanoscale are moving in chaotic and random directions such that, inmass, and at large macroscopic scales their individual motions areperfectly balanced out and there is no net direction or flow of thismatter in the bulk volume of air. As such, there is not an appliedgas-pressure force in any preferred direction, but on average, there isa gas-pressure force in all directions simultaneously.

At the molecular scale, the individual gas molecules are each movingballistically, and in straight lines, and in random directions and do sountil they impact another air molecule or other aggregation of moleculessuch as a container wall, this period and distance of this uninterruptedballistic motion is referred to as the free path, and approximates 90molecular diameters in length. In free air conditions, the high velocitymolecules elastically bounce off one another, loosing little energy orvelocity since the other molecules that they impacted are equallythermally charged.

The gas molecules contained in a pressurized gas tank exerts theirsummed gas pressure (molecular motion) on the tanks inner walls. In thisscenario, the higher the number of gas molecules that are within a givenvolume, the closer the molecular spacing is between these molecules.This closer molecular proximity increases the number of impacts that amolecule will have with other molecules per unit time and thus increasesapparent random motion of the molecules contained within the volume.This, in turn, means more molecules, per unit time, are impacting withthe tank's inner wall at a greater rate than at a normal air pressureand thus applying a greater impact (gas-pressure) summed force on thecontainer's walls. Thus, the more randomly moving gas molecules per unitvolume there are, the greater the combined exerted gas pressure on thecontainer walls.

According to the Chapman-Enskong theory, the average air (gas) moleculediameter is roughly 0.5 nanometers, with a spacing between molecules of3.3 nanometers or approximately 7 molecular diameters at standard sealevel temperature. The molecule and clear space around the moleculewould be a diameter equal to 3.3+0.5+3.3=7.1 nanometers and occupy aclear volume of be approximately 150 cubic nanometers, thus defining avolume sphere with a diameter of 7.1 nanometers and equal to 14.2molecule diameters. At standard temperature and pressure, the moleculeis traveling at or above 700 meters per second, will on average moveaway from other nearby molecules, and will travel approximately ninety(90) molecular diameters or 45 nanometers before impacting with anothermolecule. It should be noted that this molecular spacing and velocityestimations will vary with temperature and localized air pressure.

If the huge number of gas molecules summed motion was not random but aredirected, then this molecular flow, like on the macroscopic scale, willprovide an effective force to induce motion in other objects. Thepotential for useful work to be generated from the motion of directedgas molecules will depend on the means to control the desired direction,the gas temperature and the number of gas molecules summed together toprovide a force to do work. To do work, gas molecules in mass, wouldneed to flow from one location to another in a controlled lineardirection. Unfortunately, this is clearly not the case for the averageatmospheric gas molecule, where random motion and direction is the norm.

As was discussed above, the average air molecule moves in a volume ofempty space of about 150 cubic nanometers or a sphere with a diameter of7.1 nanometers or 14.2 molecule diameters, and flies in a straighttrajectory for about 90 molecular diameters before impacting anothermolecule and being diverted. The molecule's individual motion isballistic and independent of other nearby molecules, i.e., they have noinfluence on the molecule's motion until an eventual impact with themolecule. Thus, the free flying molecule is simply unaware and notinfluenced by any of its neighbor molecules for the duration of its freepath ballistic flight.

If the molecule's direction of free path is truly random, then from thestart of its free path flight an infinite number of possible radiantdirections can be considered. In turn, this infinite range of possibledirections could be represented by a sphere with a spherical surfacelocated 90 molecular diameters from the molecules origin point. Withinthis motion probability volume, the molecule has free motion and aninfinite number of possible defined vector paths, but it will take oneof these paths.

If one were to use the approximately 14.2 by 90 inter-molecular spacingand free path length as a reference guide to determine how manymolecules are traveling in a favorable direction within a given volumeof molecules, this 14.2 by 90 dimension could be seen as a triangle withthe apex at the molecules origin, the 90 dimension being the height ofthe triangle and the 14.2 dimension as the base of the triangle. Thetriangle could be rotated in 3 dimensions to form a cone—defining the 3dimensional motion path the molecule could take within in the sphericalvolume of the motion probability sphere.

The ratio of surface areas between the molecules motion cone and thesurface area of the motion probability sphere approximates the ratio ofmolecules traveling in a favorable free path direction within a givenvolume of molecules.

Thus, at any one moment of a molecular free path flight within a volumereservoir of free air, a certain percentage of the huge number of freeflying molecules within this volume space will have the same or similartrajectory (but different locations within this volume space). If thecommon directions of these uncorrelated and random molecules are summedtogether within the free path distance and duration, then their combinedlinear molecular motion could be used to do work within the free pathdistance criteria, or multiple free path distances as long as some meansis provided so that they are not interfered with by other random movingmolecules within their free path passage.

One could say that these co-directional moving molecules are flying information in among a random swarm of molecules, in a common directionbut they remain uncorrelated to each other in any way, i.e., a randomoccurrence of common direction. In one estimation, this randomoccurrence of common direction will only exist for the free pathdistance of 90 molecular diameters, before molecular collisions break upindividual molecules motion within the formation. But for the particularfree path period of time and distance, these molecules are actuallymoving through their free path distance in a common direction. If themomentum of these molecules can be commonly collected and presented to acommon energy converting device, then their summed energy can becollected to do work.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure exploits the availability ofmolecular scale machines and structures to harvest the energy ofmolecular collisions. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG.1 illustrates a three layer microscopic construction or device 100 forcollecting molecular energy. FIG. 2 illustrates a cut-out isometric viewof the device 100 for collecting molecular energy. The reader isencouraged to refer to both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 simultaneously to gainunderstanding of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, the device 100 comprises a three layer microscopicconstruction, with the first layer 110 being a plate or a capillarysubstrate with an array of through-hole perforations or simply holes 112(only one perforation is shown in FIG. 1 for clarity), where eachperforation may have a diameter of approximately 14.2 molecules orapproximately 7.1 nanometers and spaced 20 molecule diameters or 10nanometers apart. It should be noted that this illustrative size andspacing relationship may vary based on a particular application. Thehole lengths would also match the free path length of 90 moleculardiameters, though this may also vary based on applications.

In one embodiment, the second layer 120 comprises a molecular energycollecting/converting layer, e.g., in this example a nano scalemulti-blade turbine (broadly an impacting structure), and the thirdlayer 130 comprises the device substrate with a pinion or turbinebearing pin 132 that is designed to secure the turbine 121 with one ormore impeller or turbine blades 122 but allow the turbine 121 to freelyrotate while being sandwiched between the plate layer and the substratelayer. The substrate layer 130 would also provide columns 134 suitablypositioned to hold and secure the plate layer 110 above the turbine 121but also offer the maximum clear circumferential aperture beneath theplate to provide a clear unobstructed path for exhaust (exiting)molecules. All such layers could be fabricated using well known siliconfabrication processes as well as with other emerging materials such asgraphene. Thus, the device 100 could be built repetitively in largenumbers on silicon wafers and standard processing techniques with theirindividual electrical outputs available individually or aggregated.

It should be noted that in one embodiment, the perforation 112 mayoptionally employ a tapered opening 114 on the exterior side or roomside of the first layer 110. This tapered opening 114 may assist incollecting a greater number of molecules coming in on non perpendicularpaths to enter the perforation 112 and change their transit path angleto a more beneficial angle to maximize energy transfer. Similarly, theperforation 112 may optionally employ a second tapered opening 116 onthe interior side or impeller side of the first layer 110 to adjust thetransit path angle and assist the exit of the molecules to impact theturbine blade at an optimally defined angle 122 to maximize energytransfer.

In operation, high velocity molecules will approach the plate surfacefrom a broad range of directions. Those molecules within 90 moleculardiameters of the plate surface that are moving linearly will likelycontinue their motion and direction into the holes 112 in the plate 110unimpeded by the random motions of other molecules. The molecules thatline up with the plates holes will easily enter the holes and transitthe holes length without encountering other random motion molecules.Those molecules that do not line up with the plate holes, or are notnear perpendicular to the holes, are more likely to meet the plate'ssolid surface and be deflected away, i.e., they will not likely enterthe plate's holes, and the room side hole taper will help to eject themaway.

The molecules that do enter the plate holes 112 will likely transit thelength of the hole. While in the hole, the molecules are thus protectedfrom further impact with other freely and randomly moving moleculesexcept for other molecules also in the same hole travelling in the sameor opposite general direction, but the likelihood of impacting anothermolecule within the hole volume is small, requiring a near perfectmolecule to molecule alignment impact to eject the molecules out of thehole. The molecules will exit the plate layer 110 with a similartrajectory and velocity as they had entered the holes. As the moleculesexit the hole plate layer, they will enter into the cavity of theturbine cavity layer 120 with another “new” 90 molecular diameter freepath trajectory. The exiting ballistic molecules will then impact thesurface of one of the shaped fan blades 122 of the turbine 121, therebyimparting momentum to the blade and then bouncing off the blade toeventually exit the turbine cavity layer 120 through the peripheralcircumference aperture 124 and returning to the general volume of airmolecules in the room side. The summing of a large number of thesemolecules impacting the turbine blades 122 after exiting the holes willapply an un-balanced rotational force to the turbine blades, offsettingthe motion neutralizing effects of the random motion molecules alreadyin the turbine space. The unbalance molecular impact force therebyforces the turbine 121 to spin at a rate balanced to the throughput rateof the molecules transiting the plate holes and their exiting of thedevice all together 100.

It is entirely possible that some random moving molecules will enter theholes in the plate substrate 110 in the reverse direction, i.e.,entering the holes 112 from the turbine cavity direction. However, sincethe volume of the turbine cavity 120 is very small compared to the freevolume 105 on the open side of the hole plate 110, and the energyharvesting device (turbine) itself occupies a large portion of thevolume, and for a given air pressure and molecular spacing, there aresignificantly fewer random moving molecules available in the remainingturbine cavity volume to enter into the holes 112 in the wrongdirection. Additionally, the hole diameter is ˜14.2 molecule diameters,or 7.1 nanometers in size. Thus, there is sufficient free space withinthe hole for molecules to pass each other without contact. As such,there is lower probability that a directionally inbound molecule willmake contact and be deflected out of the hole by a molecule travellingin the wrong direction.

In one embodiment, the plate holes 112 and the plate thickness aredesigned to reflect the intermolecular spacing and 90 molecule free pathdistances encountered by the molecule in normal uninterrupted freeflight, thereby increasing the likelihood that there will be little tono influence from other molecules on the trajectory of the molecules'ballistic approach when entering into the plate hole. This plate holelayer 110 is designed not to influence the molecules' free flighttrajectory entering and transiting the hole, but the plate surface isdesigned to deflect molecules that alternatively are not on a suitabletrajectory to enter and transit the hole. This sieve-like process ispassive, thereby drawing on the molecules' existing trajectory to impactthe turbine. The present arrangement allows for an opportunisticdirectionality of the molecules motion in terms of entering, transitingand emerging from the holes. Additionally, this random occurringdirectional filtering process will not require external power to producethe molecular directionality. The limitation for such a device is thatat any one moment only a few percent of all the molecules approachingthe plate surface will have the correct approach angle, and the chanceto get through the plate holes to produce work.

In one embodiment, the plate surface area can be quite large compared toits thickness and limited only by the material's structural integrityand fabrication processes. For example, the hole plate's surface areamay increase by the square of the plate radius, thereby greatlyincreasing the number of hole available and thus providing a largesummed aperture to capture a large number of suitably orientatedmolecules. The system energy gain can be considered the ratio of thesummed collecting aperture of the hole plate compared to the collectingaperture of the circumferential aperture of the turbine cavity. Theprimary limit to diameter of hole plate and surface area may be thelimits of the energy converting device itself, i.e., the turbine'sincreasing size, mass, atomic stiction and the inertia of the turbineand its blades as the turbine's overall size is increased to match thehole plate.

In one embodiment, the plate material could be made from a number ofcommonly available materials such as silicon, but also includingmaterials such as coherently stacked layers of grapheme.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example turbine 121 in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates an exampleembedded conductor 400 in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. The reader is encouraged to refer to both FIG. 3 and FIG. 4simultaneously to gain understanding of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, the device 100 provides the means for molecules toflow in a controlled direction such that the molecules impinge on bladesof a suitably positioned turbine. The blade shape and orientation isdesigned to extract the maximum energy from this flowing stream ofuncorrelated molecules. The turbine blades and structure is designed toconvert the molecules' linear motion into rotational motion. The turbineis then mechanically connected to an electrical generator that utilizesthe rotational energy derived from the turbine to rotate magnetsattached to the turbine blades, against conductor wires. For example,the generators' magnets and magnetic field repeatedly sweep across aconductor wire coils, thereby generating free electrons in theconductor. These electrons in mass can then be collected, stored andused to do work elsewhere.

In one embodiment, the turbine 121 comprises a central hub and bearing133 designed to rotate on the axel pin 132 formed in the substrate layer130. The multiple fan blades 122 will be placed radially to the hub 133.The multiple fan blades 122 will be designed to cover as much surfacearea, and as much of the underside of the hole plate as possible. Thiswill engage the largest number of ballistic molecules in their energytransfer to the turbine 121 as well as restrict the number and the flowof molecules in the reverse direction.

In one embodiment, the blade's contact surface will be tilted to anangle optimum for energy transfer between the molecule and the blade122. In one embodiment, the blade can also be radially curved as shownin FIG. 5. The curved blades are designed to deflect the moleculesradially away from the hub and blades so the deflected molecules willexit the turbine cavity as quickly as possible through the device'scircumferential aperture, and so as not to interfere with the rotatingblades.

At the bottom layer of each turbine blade will be a layer of magneticmaterial, or the blade itself may be milled from a suitable high fieldstrength magnetic material. Thus, as the turbine rotates, due tomolecular impacts (i.e., pressure), the turbine blades' magneticcomponents and magnetic field will rotate as well. The complex shape ofthe turbine and fan blades could be chemically or otherwise milled fromsilicon or suitable high field strength magnetic material using standardfabrication techniques.

In one embodiment, the substrate layer 130 may also be produced bystandard silicon fabrication process, i.e., milling both the centralturbine bearing pin 132 and the hole plate mounting columns 134. Aroundthe central pin will be deposited an optimized conductor circuit track400, that will be co-located near the magnetic layer of the turbineblades and designed to maximally engage with the blades' rotatingmagnetic fields to induce free electrons. The electrical output fromthis arrangement can be directed to receiving devices (e.g., sensors410) elsewhere on the substrate or ganged with other generators (SeeFIG. 7) for power aggregation and/or to a storage device 410. Thissilicon layer can be designed to accommodate one or multiple molecularturbines commonly located on the substrate.

In one embodiment, to minimize the balancing effects of the randomlymoving air molecules at atmospheric pressure and the temperature insidethe turbine cavity, the collecting area of the combined holes in thehole plate must significantly exceed the turbine cavity's peripheralcircumferential area. The system design thus provides more opportunityfor air molecules to enter the turbine cavity via the plate holes, thanrandom motion molecules leaking in from around the circumference of theturbine cavity. It should be noted that the surface area of the holeplate can grow by the square compared to its circumference, and favoringlarge plate diameters compared to circumferential apertures.

In one embodiment, the shape and motion of the turbine blades isdesigned to expel the post impact air molecules radially away from thedevice and through the open circumferential aperture of the turbinecavity where they will encounter randomly moving ambient air molecules.

In one embodiment, the spacing between the hole plate and the substratelayer would approximately be on the order of 90 molecular diameters or afew multiples thereof. This limited cavity space is designed so as tolimit the cavity volume to the free path dimensions and thus have fewerrandom moving molecules (at air pressure) available within the cavityvolume surrounding the turbine to interfere and neutralize the turbinemotion and molecular turbine exhaust. The narrow cavity spacing alsoprovides a significantly smaller circumferential aperture compared tothe hole plate surface area and associated array of holes.

Thus, the design of the device 100 is to provide a large summed holeplate aperture so as to increase the probability that significantly morecommon-direction-molecules can reach the turbine cavity through theplate holes than random motion molecules entering the cavity via thecircumference aperture.

This intentional imbalance of collecting apertures and volume reserveswill help minimize the number of random moving molecules moving into theturbine cavity from outside of the cavity circumference, thus providingnet gain in energy transfer to the turbine. Ideally, the number of plateholes available to bring in molecules from the vastly larger free airvolume 105 that is external to the plate 110 will far exceed the freepath spacing area around the circumference of the device 100. Thisdifference in molecules entering the turbine cavity would likely producea force equivalent to a “pressure differential” in the turbine cavitythat will help drive the exhaust molecules from the cavity volumethrough increased inter-molecule collisions.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment where the turbine is replacedwith a plurality or an array of piezo-nano whiskers 610 (broadly animpacting structure). Each of the piezo-nano whiskers 610 has a flexiblestructure 612 that is shown in an inclined configuration that willcreate an electromechanical modulation when impacted by moleculesentering the cavity through the plate holes 110. The electromechanicalmodulation of the piezo nano whiskers by the impacting molecules,generates the release of electrons by the flexing of the piezo substratematerial (atomic lattice), generating electrons that then can becollected. The slope, size, shape and orientation of the piezo nanowhiskers could be designed to help exit the (post impact), exhaustmolecules out of the energy conversion volume and through thecircumferential aperture similarly to the turbine configuration.

As discussed above, the generated electricity can be collected fromdevice 100 to trickle charge an energy storage device, e.g., a battery,or super capacitor that is used to power a sensor. FIG. 7 furtherillustrates an example energy collecting array 700 of devices 100 thatcan be used to collect energy over a large surface area.

While various embodiments of the energy generating component of thisdevice have been described above, it should be understood that they havebeen presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, thebreadth and scope of a preferred embodiment should not be limited by anyof the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined onlyin accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An energy collecting device, comprising: a platelayer having a plurality of perforations for receiving a plurality ofmolecules; a molecular energy collecting layer, coupled to the platelayer, having an impacting structure for receiving the plurality ofmolecules, wherein the impacting structure comprises a magneticmaterial; and a substrate layer, coupled to the molecular energycollecting layer, having a conductor coil for collecting electronsassociated with the plurality of molecules impacting the impactingstructure.
 2. The energy collecting device of claim 1, wherein each ofthe plurality of perforations has an opening size that is approximately7.1 nanometers.
 3. The energy collecting device of claim 1, wherein theplurality of perforations is spaced approximately 10 nanometers apart.4. The energy collecting device of claim 1, wherein each of theplurality of perforations has a first tapered opening on one end of theperforation.
 5. The energy collecting device of claim 4, wherein each ofthe plurality of perforations has a second tapered opening on anotherend of the perforation.
 6. The energy collecting device of claim 1,wherein the impacting structure comprises a turbine.
 7. The energycollecting device of claim 6, wherein the turbine spins in response tothe plurality of molecules impacting the turbine.
 8. The energycollecting device of claim 6, wherein the turbine comprises a pluralityof turbine blades.
 9. The energy collecting device of claim 8, whereinthe plurality of turbine blades are curved.
 10. The energy collectingdevice of claim 6, wherein the substrate layer comprises a turbinebearing pin for supporting the turbine.
 11. The energy collecting deviceof claim 1, wherein the substrate layer comprises a plurality of columnsfor supporting the plate layer.
 12. The energy collecting device ofclaim 1, wherein the molecular energy collecting layer comprises aperipheral circumference aperture for allowing the plurality ofmolecules to exit the energy collecting device.
 13. The energycollecting device of claim 1, wherein the impacting structure comprisesa plurality of piezo-nano whiskers.
 14. The energy collecting device ofclaim 13, wherein each of the plurality of piezo-nano whiskers has aninclined structure to create an electromechanical modulation.
 15. Theenergy collecting device of claim 1, wherein each of the plate layer,the molecular energy collecting layer, and the substrate layer is madefrom silicon.
 16. The energy collecting device of claim 1, wherein eachof the plate layer, the molecular energy collecting layer, and thesubstrate layer is made from graphene.
 17. An energy collecting array,comprising: a plurality of energy collecting devices, where each of theplurality of energy collecting devices comprises: a plate layer having aplurality of perforations for receiving a plurality of molecules; amolecular energy collecting layer, coupled to the plate layer, having animpacting structure for receiving the plurality of molecules, whereinthe impacting structure comprises a magnetic material; and a substratelayer, coupled to the molecular energy collecting layer, having aconductor coil for collecting electrons associated with the plurality ofmolecules impacting the impacting structure.
 18. The energy collectingarray of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of perforations has anopening size that is approximately 7.1 nanometers.
 19. The energycollecting array claim 17, wherein the plurality of perforations isspaced approximately 10 nanometers molecule diameters apart.
 20. Amethod of collecting molecular energy, comprising: providing a platelayer having a plurality of perforations for receiving a plurality ofmolecules; providing a molecular energy collecting layer, coupled to theplate layer, having an impacting structure for receiving the pluralityof molecules, wherein the impacting structure comprises a magneticmaterial; and providing a substrate layer, coupled to the molecularenergy collecting layer, having a conductor coil for collectingelectrons associated with the plurality of molecules impacting theimpacting structure.